Star Wars fans are proving once again that their passion knows no limits. After Adam Driver confirmed that Disney rejected a planned Ben Solo spin-off film, fans have launched a full-blown campaign to bring the idea back to life, literally flying a message through the skies above Disney headquarters… again.
This week, a plane soared over the company’s Burbank offices carrying a banner that read, “Shareholders Want The Hunt for Ben Solo.”
The message was aimed squarely at Disney leadership, a high-flying plea for a film that fans refuse to let fade away.
Back in October, Driver revealed that he and filmmaker Steven Soderbergh had been developing the movie, which would have taken place after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The film was set to explore Ben Solo’s story beyond his death in the sequel trilogy.
Soderbergh and screenwriter Rebecca Blunt had crafted a concept that reportedly impressed Lucasfilm. To take it even further, Scott Z. Burns was brought in to write the screenplay.
Driver said of the script: “One of the coolest (expletive) scripts I had ever been a part of.” He went on to say: “They loved the idea. They totally understood our angle and why we were doing it.”
Unfortunately, enthusiasm and a greenlight at Lucasfilm wasn’t enough. When the project reached Disney’s higher-ups, Bob Iger and Alan Bergman reportedly turned it down.
“They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive,” Driver said. “And that was that.”
But for Star Wars fans, that wasn’t that. Since Driver’s comments, the fandom has organized creative campaigns to keep the dream alive.
Posters featuring Ben Solo’s face have popped up in cities like New York and Los Angeles, styled as “missing person” flyers. The aerial banner is simply the latest, and most visible, gesture in this movement.
Even weeks after the initial reports, excitement for The Hunt for Ben Solo hasn’t cooled off. Some fans just aren’t ready to let go of the character or his story. Will any of this actually work? Will this push Disney to make the film? Probably not.
Hey, with Disney launching their AI generated content on Disney+ in the near future, fans can just make up their own Ben Solo story!
